The Rune Gyfu and Spiritual Marriage – Join my Runes Course.
Gyfu is the 7th Rune of the Futhark, the Old English Runes Alphabet. Gyfu or Gebo is it is also called, means a gift. It is followed by the 8th Rune, Wunjo, the rune of Joy.
We work with the rune Gyfu by Rune Stance, by Rune chanting called Galdr and by Rune journeying. See my worldwide distance-learning Runes Course: www.rune-path.com.
At one level the Rune Gyfu is about giving gifts. We must give hospitality and be able to accept it in return. But we must be careful not to become over-dependent on the gifts of others and we must not give away our substance.
Michael Conneely
When we do transformative work with the Rune Gyfu, we are counselled not to be a black dragon and sit meanly on our hoard. We are urged to be generous. We are urged not to be ‘takers’ heartless people who take and move on, take and move on. And those with a drug-dependency like consciousness that take and take and take, and want everything for nothing.
But we are also advised not to over-give. Some of us over-give because we were not given value as children, and we have not yet undone that script. So we can buy friendship.
Siegfried and Brunhilde
Some of us over-give because we want to possess and drain people: Irish tales abound of fey-type cold-hearted Queens who glamour bards and poets and artists so as to drain them of their music – and their hearts! And the bards for their part are driven to be drained because they lust for musical prowess and yearn for audience adulation. There’s a very good book about this one called ‘The Lammas Field’ by Catherine Fisher.
The Rune Gyfu’s highest meaning is spiritual marriage. There’s a wonderful Germanic myth about Sigurd (Sigurdhr, or Siegfried in German myth). In the Volsunga Saga, after slaying the evil dragon, Fafnir, Sigurd mounts his otherworld steed Grani, pierces a ring of flames and ascends to the mountain Hindarfjell where he awakens the beautiful sleeping Valkyrie (Valkyrja) maiden, Sigrdrifa (Brynhildr), and they exchange vows and she gives him runic wisdom in exchange: ecstasy, serenity, magical power and sacred marriage. Sigurd gave his ring to Brunhilde and promised to return to marry her. Tragically, though, the couple are destined to be severed by trickery and Fate, as Wagner’s opera Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) recounts, but theirs was true sacred marriage.
Siegfried slays Fafnir
Here’s the Old English Rune Poem:
‘Gyfu is for every man a pride and praise,
Help and worthiness. And for every homeless adventurer,
It is estate and substance, for those who have nothing else.’
By ‘coincidence’ I had been reading what Mukti, the wife of Enlightened Teacher, Adyashanti, said in interview about Sacred Marriage. This is worthwhile reading. See my other Blog on sacred marriage: http://wp.me/p179Ad-nM
So, have a look at my worldwide distance-learning Runes course, and I’d be honoured to work with you: www.rune-path.com.